BY CLÁUDIA TERRA
PHOTOS: VINICIUS CAIRES E PNT
VÍDEO: VINICIUS CAIRES E GASOLINE BROTHERHOOD
The TT Racing event of vintage motorcycles gathered around 220 motorcycles registered for exhibition and 130 motorcycles registered for racing, as well as several motorcycles for sale, as well as a fair with old parts: “some motorcycles fit in more than one category, for example, I have a Jawa that runs in the Post-Vintage until 350cc, can race in the above 350cc, besides the I and Tourism II tests that are regularity tests, where one has a lap time pre-defined and wins the one that completes the number of predefined laps, maintaining the closest proximity to the time of proof, being lost point when passing advanced or delayed each lap. In this event, the driver can count on a chronometer that dictates the need to accelerate or slow down in order to set the lap time, “explains Vinicius Caires, one of the organizers of PNT TT Racing.
In TT Racing, women are also always present in the exclusive category. In this year’s edition 13 women were on the track: “this in addition to appreciating the female presence, promotes the integration of the family to the event, which until then was exclusively male. Today some husbands, parents, friends or boyfriends gird together preparing the motorcycle and assisting the pilots, “recalls Vinicius.
Each edition of the PNT-TT Racing honors a brand: “The idea of honoring a brand appeared in the TT PNT 2014, where the HRD brand was honored. In 2015 there was no election of a brand. In 2016 to Indian, in 2017 to Zundapp and in 2018 to Norton was honored. Each year, the exemplars of the honored brand gain prominence and own awards in the event, explains Vinicius.
The event took place from July 13 to 15 in Barra Bonita, a small city in São Paulo: “This city was handpicked and stood out for its welcome to the visitors, for the perfect structure for the event, with an area of three huge sheds, which shelter the fair of motorcycles and parts whose manufacture has already closed up to more than 100 years, a workshop open to the participants, from the assembly of motorcycles taken in the trunk of the car to the fine adjustments made by mechanics from the 4 corners of the country, as well as clothing stores, barbershops, choppers, food and the largest exhibition of motorcycles manufactured until 1984 already seen in the history of Brazil, “says Vinicius. In addition to the sheds, the structure is composed of a go-kart track, where the tests of speed and regularity are performed, divided into several categories, which meet the amateur, professional and some owners who prefer to enjoy tests that do not involve high risks to themselves and their machines.
The first edition of the PNT-TT Racing was held in 2014 in Barra Bonita, but according to Vinicius, in 2013, in the PNT, a few motorcycling enthusiasts and their vintages legends were present at the event, and only a certain pilot and his machine aligned to the grid, next to the huge cars, also of many decades past. He surprised and won the race. The brave pilot in question was Rodrigo Aragão from Rio de Janeiro, a collector of old motorcycles and one of the organizers of the PNT-TT and his Gilera Saturn 1947 with 500cc.
The TT Racing came from a “challenge” between one of the organizers and Vinicius Caires, who at the time had just met in person the Thiago Songa, one of the creators of the PNT (Pé na Tábua) with the races of Calhambeques and Komkis, which, questioned by Vinicius about the absence of the vintage motorcycles after the event, he said he did not know the owners of old motorcycles, but told Vinicius that if he could take a motorcycle from the year before 1950 that he would include the old bikes in the races. Challenge accepted and with success, is born the version of PNT only for the bikes, the TT, that already success and grows in quality and number of participants.
PNT Racing emerged in 2011 as an event for cars, but unlike anything that existed and exists with encounters, static exhibitions of the vehicles, where the public walks among them, this one decided to take themotorized veterans to the tracks, with vehicles manufactured until 1936 In addition, any of the PNT events visitors are also fans and can stay where they feel better, because the attraction, the old vehicles, “come” to visitors, after all, is a race. The PNT-TT has the following categories: Vintage, Post-Vintage, The Fifties, 4Tempos, 2 Tempos, Turismo, Baton Category, Scooters and the Elegance Contest. The regulation and more details of each category and inscriptions in the site: http://www.penatabua.com/novo/tt/categories
Pé na Tábua organizes three types of events: The PNT-CC- Calhambe Race, which started the PNT. The event with the jalopies was born in January 2011 in the city of São Paulo and since then has become a reference for those who like to join fun, leisure and old cars in motion; the PNT-TT (Tira Teima of Historic Motorcycles) has been held since 2014 in the city of Barra Bonita in São Paulo and is already considered the biggest event of old motorcycles in Brazil. Motorcycle races have been around since they emerged. Thus was born the “Trophy Tourism” in the Isle of Man for more than 100 years. With the fame conquered, the abbreviation of Tourism Trophy for “TT” was early on. In Brazil, the TT also bore the affectionate nickname “Tira-Teima”. Nowadays, Brazil almost does not hold events with old motorcycles.
The PNT-TT brings together veteran and new pilots with vintage motorcycles, collectors of old Brazilian motorcycles in an event where everyone can fraternize and ride with their motorcycles on the track and have fun; and finally we have the PNT-Kombis. This was the vehicle of the Wolksvagem was the most time made in Brazil and equally as popular and popular as it was and still is like the Beetle, the one that there are also all over Brazil many copies running and at the same time some events unique here in many countries. First performed in 2016, PNT-Komkis (King Bomki) also happens in Barra Bonita. An event exclusively for the Kombi, with exhibitions, gymnastics, exclusive feeding area for companies that use kombis, stands of professionals that work in the catering market and accessories of the Kombis, camp and much more.
But it is not only racing and exposure that makes up the PNT-TT Racing. In the words of Vinicius: “The event is multifaceted, involving workshop, chat wheels, elegance contest, racing, business, public ‘flea markets’, curiosities, ex-pilots, event-driven restorations, sometimes completed above time or even during the event. The fair for the sale of parts is a great attraction.
Although there is a possibility of accessing mature markets in the spare parts replica process, such as Europe, even these do not give access to items belonging to rarer models, or existing in smaller numbers, which makes the fairs of fleas ‘, as the antique motorcycle fairs are known, the great attraction for expressive numbers of collectors and restorers. Thus, the arrival at an event almost always takes the collector to the fair immediately, since like him, another may be in need of that piece that may be there, and, as are items found at random, the opportunities to find them are, for times, unique”.
The organizers of the PNT, headed by Thiago Songa, assisted directly by his brother Lucas Trança, besides the support of a “Council” composed of 7 people: Rodrigo Aragão collector from Rio de Janeiro, who, besides inaugurating motorcycle races, provided the structure of the workshop, in addition to putting the elegance contest into practice; by Rodrigo Valdivia, who is a collector entirely dedicated to the motorcycles of the mark Harley Davidson, being national reference in the subject under the nickname Jurassic Machines; Erick Fernandes and his wife Katia Kioko, both collectors of motorcycles especially of the mark Indian, being that Katia is the official pilot of the family in the races and whose enthusiasm and charisma gave rise to the category Lipstick (test exclusively for women); Jairo Portilho, with a large baggage and experience in the middle of the universe of motorcycles manufactured after 196 and Bira Martins, track director, member of the old guard of national motorcycling. Lucas and Thiago come from the universe of the old cars, the others, although some have old cars, all belong to the universe of the old motorcycle, with effective involvement in the middle.
The founder of PNT TT Vinicius Caires is a collector, almost follows his work in some of his rarities, and has several motorcycles of different brands: Ducati, Express, Negrini, Jawa, Alcyon, Matchless, Horex, Harley Davidson, Norton, Royal Enfield. My favorite motorcycle, which took almost 10 years to complete, is a Norton 1936, M30, made for competitions: “I am a lover of the competitions, and among the collectors I am known for dedicating myself to the research on brands, models and everything that surrounds the old motorcycle and its history, thus, after years of experience with the old motorcycles elegi like motorcycle of dreams precisely the motorcycle Norton, model M30 Factory Race, being that I obtained one of 1936, the which I took to this year’s event, where, then, we celebrate the brand’s 120 years. But I cannot say that the dream was completed, because I could not get the bike on the track and compete with it, to which I can say that I already have the dream bike, but I still have not realized the dream completely. I have never traveled great distances, but I have a project for a motorcycle made in 1908 with which I intend to participate in a rally of regularity, unfortunately for cars, but surely, with the arrival of a motorcycle, it will give way as the PNT gave us ” , says Vinicius.
He also reminds us that one of the greatest pleasures of this vintage universe is friendship and contact with people who know a lot about each bike: “What attracts me the most is the pleasure to recover, to rescue something, because in parallel to this rescue there are coexistence, friendships , as well as learning, because I deal with people who have lived a lot and have many treasures to share. Listening to the elders has always enchanted and enriched me, and behind every motorcycle or play has an individual, a story, “recalls Vinicius enthusiastically. At the same time, a range of family and friends joining together in the days of the events add up and make no effort to make the event thrive, including some providing even sponsorship. The NTP counts on partners that are already old, such as MOTUL and CRAL batteries, but each year new ones are added, as a rule, within the business performance of each of the NTPs.
But on the days of PNT-TT Racing the pleasant Barra Bonita is more joyful with the arrival of the many motorcyclists who fill the square and make an unofficial parallel encounter of motorcycles to honor this great vintage party that is already becoming a tradition in the city, which , in advance has already its network of hotels full of crowds, not only in the city itself but also in the neighboring cities: “the event is open to the public, which has free access, being part of the mayor’s interest in promoting tourism and local entertainment “Explains Vinicius. The PNT-TT always happens in May or June.
And it’s not only the bikes that come to life, the riders also rekindle their joys of the past at this super event: “Unfortunately, until the first TT there was never a national motorcycle event where ex-riders were introduced to the public, but with the TT several ex-pilots have been prescribing the event. This year, for example, a motorcycle champion of the 50s, took care of the restoration and preparation of a motorcycle and with this formed grid, bringing in the eyes the brilliance of the times of the competitions. And in driving the vehicle on the track gave a lesson to the younger ones. This veteran was Mr. Danilo Julio Afornali, 83 years old, with a 150cc CZ of 1951, which at the end of the 10 laps of the race came fourth in the overall and second in its category”, explain Vinicius.
Sure enough, the PNT-TT was and is pioneering the reunion of a greatnumber of truly resurrected motorcycles, restored and come alive with each edition in the PNT races. An event that arose from a passion for these two-wheeled legends and their enthusiastic enthusiasts, who have in TT a great opportunity to bring history to life and have fun with all the same spirit enthusiasts in this great motorcycle party with motorcycles and bikers of all the times. The 2018 edition of the PNH Calhambeques will be held from November 15 to 18 at the DIMEP farm in Itatinga, SP. The classic motorcycles return to the track with PNT-TT Racing in 2019. See you next year!
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*Cláudia Terra is a journalist, rider and lover of the Harley-Davidson universe. Follow her on the blog:
